Plans to decongest Udhampur roads remain on paper only

Under an initiative to decongest city roads, the Udhampur district administration had identified several parking places a year before and had issued necessary instructions to traffic police to regulate the traffic movement within the municipal limits, but all plans have been limited to installation of parking signboards and the situation has not changed on ground.

Under an initiative to decongest city roads, the Udhampur district administration had identified several parking places a year before and had issued necessary instructions to traffic police to regulate the traffic movement within the municipal limits, but all plans have been limited to installation of parking signboards and the situation has not changed on ground.

After representations by several NGOs, Beopar Mandal, citizens and media reports regarding congestion on city roads, the then Udhampur district development commissioner (DDC) Baseer Ahmed Khan accompanied by his team had visited the main locations of the city to identify new parking lots for vehicles and space for vendors.

The DDC had identified dedicated parking places and issued necessary instructions to the municipal authorities and traffic police to make it mandatory to park vehicles at designated places only.

He had also instructed the officers of the Udhampur municipality to identify the congested areas in the town, where traffic movement is affected due to 'rehris' and also asked them to allot a separate place for them near Matador Stand at Circular road. The DDC had directed executive engineer, PWD, to make available land on both sides near Matador Stand for the purpose immediately.

More than a year later, the situation has not changed. NGO Indian Democratic Human Rights Organisation president Sarita Devi had alleged that no single order of administration has been implemented by PWD, traffic and municipal authorities concerned, who have failed to comply with the instructions of the district administration.

It is alleged that municipality had only installed parking signboards near the designated parking places a year ago.

Locals and businessmen have shown concern over traffic management in city roads such as at Slathia Chowk, Gole Market, Bus Stand, Mukherjee Bazaar, Venus Chowk and other places where traffic jams were order of the day. City roads had been turned into illegal parking lots due to which businessmen were suffering, the said.

Raghav Sharma, a local, alleged that despite imposition of restriction under Section 144 of the CrPc by the administration that no one will dump construction material on roads, people are violating the order as there is no one to stop them. Locals have appealed to the administration to implement plan to decongest city roads.